What do you do with your mask in the morning?

I hang my chin strap and mask to my headboard with hose attached. I dump the humidifier tank and let it air dry daily. I've never washed my head gear, guess I should some day. Though I like to take my showers before bed, so I don't think it is too dirty.

For a while I was sliding my nasal pillows style mask down in a knee high stocking just for a little protection from any wayward crawly critters, then got complacent. Now I just take it off and toss it on the nightstand. I have, however, recently begun turning the air on for a few seconds at night just in case "anything" needs to be blown out. In view of recently renewed critter discussion, I think using the stocking again sounds like a good idea.

As soon as my feet touch the floor I'm unlatching my mask and getting ready to turn off my bipap.
Then I remove the cusion from the hard casing (not sure of the correct word) and I take it to the bathroom where I wash it, thoroughly, with clarifying shampoo and then I bring it into the kitchen to a tiny drainboard I use just for my masks and gear and I set it down gently to dry...and cover with a clean towel.
Then I go back to the rest of the mask and headgear and hose connection and tuck all of that into a large zip-lock bag which I set next to my machine which is on one of those wooden folding "trays" that stays next to the sofa which has been my bed ever since I moved in with my mother.
Hey, I've been sleeping on a sofa for years. That started when my sleep apnea first got bad and I started getting bad headaches (which the doctors chalked up to...*rolling eyes*...stress).
Ah...I digressed.
Anyway...I wash the hard part of the mask and the headgear every Friday, although I do clean that hard part with unscented wipes made for masks every other day of the week.

I found a nightstand that helps keep my bedroom looking nice. Do a search on YAHOO for cpaphideaway. I bought a set of matching nightstands that has cleaned up the look of my bedroom. Its solid wood that they stained to the color that I chose. This is the first time that I can keep my cpap off the top of my nightstand!! I love it and wanted to share!!

Brian050 wrote:I found a nightstand that helps keep my bedroom looking nice. Do a search on YAHOO for cpaphideaway. I bought a set of matching nightstands that has cleaned up the look of my bedroom. Its solid wood that they stained to the color that I chose. This is the first time that I can keep my cpap off the top of my nightstand!! I love it and wanted to share!!

For others' convenience, here's a direct link: http://www.cpaphideaway.com/index.html

A little too expensive for me these days, but it's a great idea and a nice-looking finished product.

The way the humidifier tank and hose is configured on my machine makes the perfect "hook" to hold my mask after taking it off in the morning. The elbow in the front of the mask (with hose attached) lays behind the hose and its connection from the tank and the forehead piece rests on the nightstand (mask is basically hanging upside down or sideways).
Never have had an issue with bugs in the mask or hose so I've not felt the need to take any precautions in that regard.
I wash the mask and headgear when I feel like it "needs" it.......probably about 3 - 4 times per year. Never have washed/cleaned the hose (4 1/2 yrs.) and have never "cleaned" the humidifier tank. Periodically.....about as often as I wash my mask.....I'll let the water get pretty low and then dump the remainder......rinse it out with hot tap water and then refill with distilled. Otherwise, I just keep topping off the tank about every third or fourth night.


Den

I take the mask off, and let it dangle from my hozer. Usually comes to rest on my pillow. Reach around to jab the button that stops my CPAP machine (though sometimes I overshoot and hit the ramp button....first).

At night while getting ready for bed, I wipe the mask with a CPAP wipe and top up the humidifier....and turn on the humidifier....later while masking up, the machine's auto-on will kick in (sometimes too early....)

I take things apart for a more thorough cleaning on the weekend (though sometimes I miss a weekend)....

The Dreamer.

Pop the nasal pillows out, throw the hose/mask over the bedside table, empty and refill the humidifier with distilled water, and drop the nasal pillows in a dish of warm, soapy water to soak for a few hours.

This has been my routine for six years, and my health couldn't be better.

Oh yeah, and I'm the guy that caused all the brouhaha around here a few years back because I encouraged the use of Vaseline® around the nares to help with the seal and minimize irritation. Still doing it, and no sign of lipoid pneumonia yet... .

Once a week I soak the hose,the fliter,face mask in vinager and water mix. The rest of the week it goes on my night stand.

I do wash my Pad A Cheek strap coverings once every two weeks. Funny how that is, cleaning the fabric coverings but not cleaning anything plastic.

Oh Demeter-

When I started cpap, 'bout a year ago, I had my routine of washing, gently caring for mask, headgear, tubing much like yours. It took me half the morning to get them washed and hung to dry. Using that much time each day got old - real fast.

Demeter_Soul wrote:As soon as my feet touch the floor I'm unlatching my mask and getting ready to turn off my bipap.
Then I remove the cusion from the hard casing (not sure of the correct word) and I take it to the bathroom where I wash it, thoroughly, with clarifying shampoo and then I bring it into the kitchen to a tiny drainboard I use just for my masks and gear and I set it down gently to dry...and cover with a clean towel.

Now, as soon as I am awake, I jerk the mask off, plop it on top of my machine. Wash it every once in a while. I have a F&P heated hose - they are darn expensive, I hang-them up full length to dry. I wasn't doing that for a while, and I could feel moisture in the tubing - now it drys during the day.

Jan

When I wake up I reach over and turn the machine off then remove the mask and lay it on the bed next to the pillow then get up. I wash the mask every few months whether it needs it or not;^) I've used my origional pillows on my Swift LT for over 6 months and it is going strong.

I remove the silicone parts of my mask, put warm water in the bathroom sink, and wash them off using a tad of Method Go Naked dish soap http://www.methodhome.com/product.aspx?page=555.
Love that soap, it is gentle, unscented, and wonderfully concentrated.

Once a week, I take off the headgear and wash all the plastic parts in the same sink. I have a ceramic dish with a wash cloth in it where the parts can air dry.

I have to wash the silicone parts daily, as I have oily skin, and don't like how the parts that contact me feel if I don't wash them daily.

The hose sits in my hose lifter, http://www.cpapxchange.com/cpap-supplie ... -lift.htmlboth ends disconnected to air dry. I figure I will wash out my hose once a month or so. Haven't had it a month yet.

I clean my humidifier tank once a week.

I bought a tall night-stand like cabinet at IKEA http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20086663(I have a very tall bed) that houses my CPAP, as well as a drawer where I can store my mask parts and bottle of distilled water.

rinse the tank each night, use distilled water (got mold from tap water once - yuck), hang the mask on the hook on the 'hoser' hose hanger. Wash it once a month (yes, I am a a pig)

Eh, CPAP Mask by night, chew toy for the Dog by day...

Ruff!

SG